Archie’s Story

Archie is eight years old – bright, curious, and full of untapped potential.

From an early age, it was clear he experienced the world differently. His childminder noticed too, raising concerns about autism, ADHD or perhaps, both.

In many ways, Archie is exceptional. By the age of five, he was a fluent reader and could do complex, mental maths. But school was never a safe or supportive place for him. Traditional classrooms, rigid routines, and one-size-fits-all learning pathways left him overwhelmed and traumatised. Despite his abilities, Archie couldn’t thrive in an environment that wasn’t built for how his brain works.

As time went by, Archie’s struggles grew more severe. He would run from the classroom, climb the school’s 10-foot-high perimeter fences or clamber onto the school roof to escape. Archie’s impulsivity and inability to self-regulate meant he was frequently at risk once outside the school grounds, unaware of traffic and other dangers.

After a long wait for assessment, at the age of six, Archie was officially diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, but by this time, school had become a symbol of failure in his eyes – a place that didn’t understand him…somewhere he couldn’t fit in. The school did everything they could to improve the situation, but despite efforts from staff and SEND support workers, things didn’t improve for Archie.

For the next 2 years, Archie battled to attend school, managing to tolerate an hour a day - but some days, couldn’t even manage that. As the days went by, he became more traumatised and distressed by the school environment until eventually, he wouldn’t attend at all. During this time the fight to secure an Education Health and Care Plan to help Archie get the extra support he needed was long, arduous and stressful, and took another 18 months of waiting.

The toll on Archie’s mental health was devastating. He rarely left the house, had few friends and sometimes said that he didn’t want to be alive. At just eight years old, he was sad, confused and alone when he should have been learning, playing with his peers and enjoying life.

Thankfully, there has been a glimmer of hope. After months of waiting, a place became available at a small, specialist provision - one designed for neurodivergent children like Archie. Here, the environment was calm, flexible, and tailored to how he learns best. The difference it made was extraordinary and immediate.

Archie is at last, excited about learning again. He feels safe, seen and successful… but, sadly, there’s a catch. Archie can only attend for four, one-hour sessions each week as the demand for this kind of specialist placement far exceeds its availability; waiting lists are long and placements are expensive and so hard to find. It’s also only a short-term solution, and is aimed at reintegrating children back into a permanent educational setting in the long-term.

It’s clear that four hours of education a week is insufficient for an intelligent, eight-year-old, who’s eager to learn and should have a bright future ahead. However, 4 hours a week is all that’s available for Archie in the Scarborough area. There is no full time school that he can go to – and so the struggle and fight to get him the education he deserves and is entitled to, carries on, with no end in sight.

Archie is almost 9 years old now and still has no permanent, school place.